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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. pit — in a race
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. charge — electricity
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. charge — in control
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. fine — high quality
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. charge — a price
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. fine — all right
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pit — a hole
  24. stick — a piece of wood

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com